Passenger Seat
by Mione3
Summary: Here she was in the passenger seat, him driving, only one with enough sense to wear a seatbelt, and her stuffing her face full. It was like deja vu.


Disclaimer: None of the characters in this story belong to me, sadly. They belong to someone else, a rich someone else. Even the song isn't my own. Passenger Seat belongs to SheDaisy. Care to share?? I guess not. Hey, the plot is my own.  
  
Enjoy the story and review, please!  
  
Passenger Seat  
  
Logan's eyes were enough to make a grown man cower in fear, but the little lady they were boring into appeared calm and unaffected. She was young, no more than twenty-five, wearing a beautifully revealing white sundress, trimmed in red, which ended mid thigh. The man that had been biding for her attention a few moments earlier slid off the stool and was cautiously backing away from the pair, unknowingly drawing the formidable man's interest his direction.  
  
Shifting his gaze to the cowering figure, Logan stalked forward, his brow knitted tightly and fists clenched at his sides. The man was opening and closing his mouth, unable to produce a single sound in his terror. "Thought this would be your lucky night, eh, bub?"  
  
It looked as if the man would pass out from the lack of oxygen to his body. Not only was he unable to push any air out of his empty lungs, he could not breathe in any either. Within seconds, the man hit his back against the wall of the bar and could retreat no further. In a last ditch effort, his body heaved his chest and sucked in a huge breath.  
  
Logan raised an eyebrow, awaiting a response, watching the sweat pouring off the man's forehead. "S-s-sorrrry," the man whispered. If it hadn't been for Logan's heightened senses he probably would not have even heard the stuttered word.  
  
"Never again, you get me?" he asked the man the rhetorical question. "If I find that you so much as sneak a peak in her direction you'll not live to regret it." He punched his metal-laced fist through the wood paneled wall in emphasis. "That is a promise!"  
  
The sound of feminine shoes withdrawing caused Logan to forget the man before him, the one who had wet his pants in fear. Cocking his head to the side he glimpsed the young woman hurriedly exiting the bar.  
  
With remarkable agility, Logan swept himself, almost gracefully, out of the dingy bar in a hasty pursuit of the lady. The sun had long ago burrowed into the horizon leaving the parking lot lit only by the star speckled sky and quarter moon. She had just swung her long leg over the motorcycle she was intending to ride when he caught her, roughly, by the shoulder.  
  
"An' just where the hell do ya think yer goin', kid?" he asked, practically growled as he positioned himself in front of the bike to cut off her escape route, hand still plastered to her shoulder.  
  
She looked up at him, with such animosity in her eyes that it actually made the wolverine flinch. "What exactly does it look like? Ah'm leavin'?" She started the engine, flicked on the headlight and yelled, "An' fer the las' time, Ah'm no KID!!"  
  
Controlling his emotions and returning his stoic facial expression he was famous for, Logan answered. "I told you, I'm takin' ya home!"  
  
Turning off the engine, grinding the gears in the process making the wolverine wince, she swung her leg over the bike once more, giving everyone in the parking lot a peep at her undies, and stalked over to his red Chevy truck in defeat. "Fine!" she huffed, throwing her bare arms up for effect. "Jus', put the bike in the back than!"  
  
Marie leaned lightly against the warm passenger door, enjoying the feel of the metal against her bare skin. This was the second day that she had been in full control of her deadly mutation, that for the first time in nearly a decade she would be able to engage in skin-to-skin contact. That was the main reason for this little excursion. She wanted to meet people that knew nothing of her poisonous flesh and would not hesitate in a little contact. In fact, she hoped they would be eager for some 'heavy petting'. There was no doubt Logan would give her a hug, here and there, but she wasn't as interested in his brotherly embraces as in something more; something more intimate. Not that she would complain if they exchanged an intimate embrace, hell, she would be in heaven, but she knew that to him she was nothing more than his kid sister, kid being the key word.

Passenger side, I slide on in.  
  
Vinyl seats soft from the heat of the sun.  
  
Chewin' on a Slim Jim, can't stop thinkin' bout him.  
  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's the one.  
  
Mmm, yeah, yeah, yeah, he's the one.

She heard him put the bike on the truck bed but did not turn her attention his way. He unlocked the driver's side door and climbed in on the high bench. Leaning over, he unlocked the other door for her. As if on cue she climbed in, fastened her seatbelt and pulled out a piece of beef jerky from her dainty purse to occupy her mouth before she said something that she could not take back. Not to mention her futile attempt to keep her mind off of the gruff man driving.  
  
It was no use; he would always be on her mind. Even in the bar when that man was trying to get her to dance, the only thing she could think was, 'He's no Logan.' Just being in the truck with him made her think back to that first night she met him, and she grinned. Here she was in the passenger seat, him driving, only one with enough sense to wear a seatbelt, and her stuffing her face full. It was like deja vu. There was no stopping the smile that appeared across her lips at the thought.

Ooh, ooh, ooh, life's so sweet right here in the passenger seat.  
  
Ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah, life's so sweet. When I look to my left see his suntanned hands,  
  
His muddy river hair and his thousand acre plans.  
  
I'm all shook up like a quarter in a can.  
  
Ain't life sweet in the passenger seat, yeah.

Cautiously she swept her eyes to their corners to get a glimpse of the man to her left. As usual, his jean clad thighs looked as if they were pored into the pants and his black t-shirt was sweaty around the collar showing off his extremely fit chest and arms. Perched on the steering wheel, his large hands were brown with tan and she was positive one could swallow her own hand whole. How she longed to see if her hands would fit as perfectly in his as they did in her dreams. To feel those strong arms pull her in close and not let go. There was nothing she wouldn't give for that to happen.  
  
Climbing up his torso to his handsome face she felt her heart jump slightly. By his clenched jaw she could tell he was still angry with her for going to the bar he frequented. What was the way he put it? Oh, yeah, 'It ain't no place fer the likes a you!' God! Just that alone screamed, 'I'm goin' whether ya like it or not!' And she did. If not for her own benefit, but to rebel against the child image with which he could not, or would not, quash.  
  
The stubble that was building up along his jaw line was calling out to run across her smooth skin. She would not mind the scratches her cheek would endure if it could be melded up against that prickly jowl. His hair pleaded for her hands to get lost in the dark mane that was uniquely Logan. No other man she had ever met had a hairstyle remotely similar to that one.  
  
An involuntary shudder ran through her body as her thoughts of this man became more and more impure and intense.

I daydream of me an' a cold cotton pillow,  
  
And the feel of his skin.  
  
The windowsill smiles and before I know it,  
  
I'm miles away a-sittin' next to him.  
  
Miles away a-sittin' next to him.

A haze fell over her eyes as the visions in her mind replaced the ones in front of her face.  
  
Feeling the pressure of the cool fabric of the soft pillow behind her head, her stomach did somersaults. The sudden weight of a large body on top of her own caused liquid heat to flow through her veins. His coarse hand cupped her cheek; thumb brushing ever so lightly over her full pink lips that quivered at the surprise caress. The other was slowly, meticulously, running gentle circles up her left arm.  
  
Just as he was leaning into crush her lips with his own, the smile from her reflection in the window awoke the daydreamer. Scanning the road up ahead she realized that they had long ago passed the mansion and were miles away from where her mind last remembered being.

Ooh, ooh, ooh, life's so sweet right here in the passenger seat.  
  
Ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah, life's so sweet. When I look to my left see his suntanned hands,  
  
His muddy river hair and his thousand acre plans.  
  
I'm all shook up like a quarter in a can.  
  
Ain't life sweet in the passenger seat, yeah.

Confusion and an uncommon irritation for Logan engulfed Rogue's emotions. Her mind tried to process the reason why he would drive past the school when he told her he was taking her home. Was he really that angry? Angry enough to not pay attention to where he was going? Or was he taking her somewhere to let her know how mad he really was?  
  
For the first time since they started driving the silence was broken. "Where we goin'?" Rogue inquired, her focus on the dark land outside the window.  
  
It took some time before Logan answered, "Took ya long enough ta notice. We're a good hour from the x-geeks." There was no emotion behind his words, merely indifference.  
  
"Ah was thinkin' if ya must know," she responded in annoyance. "Ah tend ta get a little distracted. But last time Ah checked, you were a member of the x-geeks too, sugah."  
  
He just cocked an eyebrow.  
  
She sighed after a few minutes, "Ah guess Ah'll ask ya again since ya obviously ignored mah question. Where – are – we – going?" she said slowly and methodically.  
  
He kept his eyes glued on the road and if he did hear what she said, he gave no outward appearance to that effect. "Fine!" she grunted, leaning her head back against the seat in aggravation.

Shiftin' those gears, baby, 1, 2, 3.  
  
Then he shifts those ocean eyes back to me.  
  
Can't imagine a moment any better than this:  
  
Then we kiss.

The shifting gears of the car startled Rogue awake. Logan was parking the car. Taking in her surroundings, the clock on the dash read 2:12 am, nearly two and a half hours after they left the bar. Knowing the speed with which Logan drives they could be practically anywhere on the northern east coast. Outside the truck, the headlights revealed a wooded area that had no distinctive qualities whatsoever. She desperately wanted to ask Logan where they were but he had already exited the vehicle and was digging around in the truck's bed.  
  
No way would she give him the satisfaction of going along with this absurdity so she stayed planted in her seat, watching him curiously. Within no time he had the items he was searching for extracted, the tent assembled and the campfire ablaze. Even though it was warm the fire looked inviting, especially with Logan sitting there on a log staring intently at the flames.  
  
She sighed to herself, and left the 'safety' of the passenger seat to join Logan by the fire. Although she wanted to sit next to him she decided to be strong and sit on the log opposite his position.  
  
"Where are we?" she asked, not really expecting an answer due to the lack of one the last few times she asked the question.  
  
Finally he shifted his eyes from the flames to capture her large brown ones in an intense gaze. "You don't recognize it?"  
  
She looked around again, feeling almost remorseful because nothing looked familiar to her and yet he expected her to remember this place. There were simply too many wooded areas exactly like this one. "No, Ah'm sorry!" she whispered as she bowed her head apologetically.  
  
When she finally raised her head again, Logan's focus was back on the fire. If Marie felt bad before, she felt worse now with his lack of response to her request for forgiveness. Wiping a tear from her cheek she stood. "Ah guess we're stayin' here tanight. Ah'm goin' ta sleep," she said quietly. Walking around the fire, and Logan, she entered the tent and claimed the maroon sleeping bag. It was too warm to actual get in the bag so Marie was content to lie on top.  
  
She heard him enter a few minutes later and felt him lie down on the sleeping bag next to her. When she opened her eyes, Marie was surprised to find Logan staring at her. Her heart beat quickened and her breath hitched. She was a bundle of nerves. "What's wrong, Logan?" she asked.  
  
He kept staring. It was quite intimidating. Not that Logan ever really intimidated her, but this was so uncharacteristic of the usually stoic man. If her experience didn't tell her any different she could have sworn there was love behind those eyes, and not the protector type. But, she of course, knew better.  
  
Still entranced in her eyes, he finally answered her repeatedly asked question, "This is where the jet came down, after leavin' icecube's place. Where we camped that las' night before ev'rythin' changed, at least for me."  
  
Ultimately, she did recognize the place. In a sense, she had chosen to block it out. After all, Magneto and Mystique had camped with them and they were two people she did not care to be around again, ever. The look in his eyes also made sense now, he was remembering Jean.  
  
With that discovery, her heart plummeted, along with her facial expression. Smile turned into frown but he didn't notice. He was too preoccupied with her eyes.  
  
"It changed fer ev'ryone," Marie replied. "We teamed up with our enemy an', because of them, Jean died." She paused, trying to gauge Logan's reaction. He never even seemed to be aware of her voicing his love's name. "Scott changed, da professor changed, Storm changed, and even you changed. Ya'll loved her."  
  
That decisively knocked Logan out of his trance. His thick eyebrows became one as he knitted them together in concentration. Rogue was nervous, thinking she should never have taken the conversation that direction. "Marie, there is somethin' I want ta make clear. Ah cared about Jean but I did not love her, at least not in the way ev'ryone seems ta think I did."  
  
"But, Ah thought..."  
  
She was cut off as Logan continued, "Ya thought wrong, darlin'."  
  
She was definitely confused. Every notion she had about Logan was just brought into question. "Than what exactly changed fer ya?"  
  
Closing his lids lightly he answered, "That night I realized I was in love, but not with Jean." He opened his eyes again and captured hers in an intense gaze.  
  
Her heart felt like it would leap out of her chest. 'Surely he doesn't mean me,' she thought.  
  
Her pounding heart was drowned out by his soothing voice, "When the jet was hit I first had a clue my feelings were confused, but I pushed the thought away. Then that night, lyin' here in this very spot, Jean came to me. Only, it wasn't Jean."  
  
"Mystique," she interrupted.  
  
"Yeah," Logan sighed. "She offered to be anyone I wanted. Changing from Jean inta Storm and than inta you." Pausing, he ran a hand through his hair roughly. "I knew that I didn't love Jean, I loved you." Cupping her cheek gently in his hand he tenderly ran his thumb over her quivering lips. "I still love you."  
  
Tears were streaming down her face uncontrollably. That night had been years ago, never had she even considered the idea he would return her feelings. "Why didn't ya say somethin'?" she whispered.  
  
"Ya were so young an' I though you deserved someone with less baggage."  
  
"Why now? Why after seven years?" she sobbed, leaning into his caress more.  
  
Laying her on her back, leaning over her with his weight on his elbow, hand still cupping her cheek, his right hand began to meticulously run gentle circles up her left arm. Breathing was becoming more and more difficult for the slight girl. She just prayed this wasn't one of her daydreams, and if it was she never wanted to wake up.  
  
"I can't live without you, and I don't want ta," he eventually responded. A smile crept across his lips, a rare but gorgeous sight. "If anyone gets ta touch ya, its gonna be me, darlin'." Closing the distance between them he kissed her lightly. When he pulled away he wiped the moisture from her rosy complexion and twirled her platinum streaks around his finger. "Only me!" he growled before allowing the wolverine to gain control, devouring her mouth with his own.

Ooh, ooh, ooh, life's so sweet right here in the passenger seat.  
  
Ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah, life's so sweet.  
  
Ooh, ooh, ooh, life's so sweet right here in the passenger seat.  
  
Ooh, ooh, oh yeah, life's so sweet, it's...  
  
Life's so sweet, it's....  
  
Life's so sweet, it's...  
  
So sweet in the passenger seat.  
  
Life's so, life's so, life's so sweet,  
  
Right here.

She knew there would be a great deal of explaining to do when they got back to the mansion, but she couldn't care less. Looking at her reflection in the window her smile was visible and there was nothing that could remove it from her face. Turning to her left, Logan leaned in giving her a chaste kiss and returned his attention back on the road, allowing his right hand to entwine with her left. They were a perfect fit, just like in her dreams.  
  
There was no place in the world she would rather be than right here, next to Logan in the passenger seat.  
  
Fin   
  
I heard this song and immediately thought of Logan and Marie Please Review!


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